


Chapter 15

by Anonymous



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright Spoilers, Near Death Experiences, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-14 00:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13581840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: But he does trust Corrin. Even if they sided with their Nohr family, he would trust them. And they are his liege: he swore to be their retainer, to support their actions and decisions.He holds on.





	1. A Support

**Author's Note:**

> (Birthright) Chapter 15. 
> 
> "Near Death Experiences" for chapter 1.
> 
> "Character Death" for chapters 2 and 3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think an exploding crystal made sense.

The ground quakes, and Corrin's dragonstone slips from their fingers. Their Yato slips, too, but the sword sheathe does its job and prevents the legendary weapon from joining the dragonstone at the bottom of the cliff.

It's a small mercy, one Kaze can't really focus on. After all, he's flat on his stomach, clutching Corrin's wrist.

And Corrin is dangling with the sheer drop beneath them.

"Corrin! Kaze! Hold on!"

"Over here, Hinoka! Please help!"

"I'm coming!"

The ground shivers, and exhaustion from the battle (massacre) is written over Corrin's face, stamped into the bones of Kaze's arms. Even if the ground holds, they aren't sure they can hold.

Hinoka won't make it in time.

"It has been a pleasure serving you, Corrin."

He regrets it the moment he says it, because Corrin's eyes meet his and their fingers lock into his wrist.

If Lady Hinoka is near enough to catch them, throwing Corrin would guarantee their safety. It's the best choice to guarantee survival- no. It's the second best choice. The best choice would be if their positions were swapped, if Kaze were dangling and Corrin were holding him fast. Then he could let go, and the cliff would hold, and Hinoka could save their sibling without half the worry.

As it is, Corrin is an heir to the kingdom. They have four siblings who would be distraught if they died. He only just swore allegiance to Corrin, and letting them fall is not an option, however much danger his choice may put him in.

(Kaze has one sibling, and he knows they would understand. Duty before desire. A retainer's life is nothing compared to their liege.)

But Corrin's grip is too tight and their eyes are burning. "Don't," they breathe. " _Don't_. Kaze, trust me."

The ground shakes.

"You know what you have to do. You have to let go." If Corrin's hand is still firm on Kaze's wrist, the simple attempt of throwing them won't work. Corrin won't be thrown, and both of them will die.

"Trust me, Kaze! Just hold on and trust me!"

There's no way Hinoka's pegasus can bear the weight of three people. Even if it could, the odds of Hinoka having to grab them, to hoist them both up... Hinoka cannot possibly lift both of them, or even hold them long enough to land safely.

Could Hinoka grab Corrin, and then grab Kaze? If the cliff holds, maybe.

He feels it crumbling under their weight. Not maybe. And he isn't sure if he can throw Corrin as more and more seconds tick by.

But he does trust Corrin. Even if they sided with their Nohr family, he would trust them. And they are his liege: he swore to be their retainer, to support their actions and decisions.

He holds on.

The sudden doubling and tripling of weight threatens to wrench his arm out of its socket. His fingers are forced apart when Corrin's wrist goes from thin and human to thick and _not_. The cliff crumbles, and he's weightless as the beat of powerful wings whips dust and stone into his face. Suddenly, Corrin is flying, and Kaze is the one praying Corrin won't let go.

The landing is painfully rough. Kaze's head smacks the ground, hard, makes him see stars and hear ringing.

Someone screams. Multiple someones scream, and something roars.

There's a terrifying beat before Hinoka's pegasus lands. The rest of the army is there, and Kaze blinks the stars from his eyes but can't shake the ringing from his ears. Can't catch his breath, or ignore the pain burning through his arm, crawling its way through his chest.

Corrin roars again, tail lashing behind them, front paw (claw? foot?) slashing at anyone who nears.

Dimly, Kaze realizes he's still holding as best he can, considering Corrin's wrist is now so much larger than his hand. More than that. Corrin is still holding him. Their claws may be digging into his arm, and they may have twisted his wrist somewhat, but Corrin is holding fast, snarling, a mindless beast who, for some reason, hasn't realized easy prey is right under their feet.

(Or maybe they have noticed. Corrin has lashed out with tail and claw, snapped with fangs, but the foot that's holding Kaze hasn't budged an inch.)

The army can't near, can't talk some sense into them, but Kaze trusts Corrin, deeply and wholly. So now, safe (safe?) on the ground, he makes his choice and lets go.

(He trusts, on some level, that Corrin will know him, that the army will stop Corrin, and that everything will turn out alright. He isn't consciously aware of this, too dizzy from his head hitting the ground, but he still trusts.)

The loss of what little pressure his fingers could give makes Corrin turn. That fraction of a second is enough to let the others near, and they are enough to subdue the dragon Corrin became, turn them from dragon to human, shaking with how little control they had over their own body, how close they came to dying or watching Kaze die. But it's lucky, everyone says, as they tend to Kaze's wounds. It's lucky neither of you-

No. Don't think about it.

The arm is bleeding, the shoulder dislocated. There's blood coming from his head, matting his hair. He's scraped and battered by the flight and landing. The dust and stones have cut his face, but it's superficial. He'll live. It'll be a couple days or weeks to recover, but.

Both of them will live.

* * *

 

"You trusted me," Corrin says when they can breathe again, when they have a dragonstone to replace the one that fell to the bottom of the cliff. They're clutching it so tightly their fingertips are turning white. (There's a thick chain keeping it around their neck, Kaze notices. If Corrin sees him looking, they don't mention it.) "I thought-"

Words. What words can he say? _Of course I trusted you? I would never disobey an order from my liege?_

_If either of us died, our siblings would be distraught?_

"It _will be_ a pleasure serving you."

There. He smiles, and Corrin laughs through the tears, and for the moment, future forgotten, all is well.


	2. B Support

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character Death warning.

Kaze holds on, and Corrin transforms, but it's not enough. His hands are too small, his fingers too weak, and when Corrin flies, both of them let go: Corrin's claws simply drop him, and Kaze's fingers give up, too tired from the battle with the Wolfskin and the battle to keep Corrin safe.

It's not Corrin's fault. It was wishful thinking, believing an unfettered dragon form that cannot discern friend from foe would _hold on_. Corrin is made of dreams and wishes; everything they do is believing in the best case scenario, the best possible outcome.

Both of them would have been foolish not to try.

It was a good try, Kaze thinks as he falls, as he watches Corrin fly (without him) to safety, as the sky rapidly distances itself from him. The others can subdue Corrin. They will still have their heir, their hope for the future. They'll leave this mountain and continue to Nohr, stop the war, and win peace for both their countries. He knows this and trusts them, because the human Corrin isn't the dragon Corrin.

(His twin will mourn, privately, but life will go on. Kaze knows this. He doesn't- no. He isn't upset that things will be fine, and he won't be around to see it.)

(But he does wish, until he can't wish anymore.)


	3. C/No Support

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character Death warning. Pretty much what happened in game.

He knows if he says it, Corrin won't let go. That's just who they are: all or none. Corrin would rather die than let Kaze sacrifice himself, so he just won't tell them.

So when he thinks Hinoka is close enough, the second before his aching muscles scream and give up, he doesn't give warning: just strains everything in his body and hurls Corrin was hard as he can. Their grip was tight, but not as tight as if they were focusing on holding him. The action wrenches their fingers free, and he feels their fingers ghosting along his gloves as their horrified gaze snaps from their sister to him.

Hinoka catches them. She almost drops them, but catches them. And Kaze slips, becomes the one dangling.

"It has been a pleasure serving you," he says, forcing a smile as Hinoka struggles to pull Corrin onto her pegasus with one hand, reaching for Kaze with the other. It takes seconds they don't have, and the cliff cracks and crumbles. "Forgive me. I only did what was necessary."

The cliff gives and he falls.

He knows that Corrin would forgive him, that after they get out of here, after their siblings comfort them, they'll understand. They're too kind not to.

He wonders how it could have been, being Corrin's retainer. Getting to know them, to trust them, being able to fight at their side and see everything through.

What if?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first time I played Birthright 15, I didn't have an A support. The second time I did, and after clearing the chapter I went, "That made absolutely no sense."


End file.
